BEAUTY FOR ASHES: ”Vision For Our Blindness” (John 9:1-12, 25b) - Rev Jerry Lee Butler - March 19, 2023

CURRENT SERMON SERIES: "Beauty for Ashes"

On the outside, most of us might seem to have it all together—at least most of the time. We try to keep busy, to keep showing up, to keep up appearances, and to Keep on Truckin’, as that old, familiar bumper sticker used to say.

But truth be told, most of us, on the inside, are trying just to hold it all together. We stumble, fumble, and tumble through life—through triumph and tragedy, through ups and downs, through long days and dark nights—often trying desperately to protect the image we want to project in this world.

Until eventually, what may appear like beauty on the outside starts to feel more like ashes on the inside. We each carry within us the shame and secrets, the betrayals and bondage, the fears and self-doubt, that come to every human life.

Over time, we learn we can no longer hold these inside for the sake of holding it all together. We long for the beauty that once dwelled in us. The season of Lent is a time of cleansing and purging ourselves of the lifeless ashes we carry.

By letting them out and letting them go, we make room for the grace and freedom and beauty that only God can give us.

Join us for this honest and heartfelt series about God’s eternal promise to bestow on each us “a crown of beauty instead of ashes.”